Civil liberties bill stirs debate

Legislation passed mirrors federal law

11:51 PM,
Apr. 2, 2014

Albert Gonzo assists Susie Helom of Jackson Wednesday at Rainbow Co-Op in Jackson's Fondren neighborhood. The store has posted signs reiterating that people of all backgrounds are welcome in the store.

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Gov. Phil Bryant vowed Wednesday to sign a controversial bill that critics fear will turn Mississippi into a battleground pitting religious freedom against civil liberties despite assurances to the contrary from supporters.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which passed 79-43 in the House and 37-14 in the Senate on Tuesday, mirrors a 21-year-old federal law by the same name that protects citizens from laws that violate religious expression.

Because the federal law doesn't apply in state cases, Mississippi this week joined more than a dozen other states by passing its own version. ...